Powdered Alcohol Is Now Legal in the United States

After a battle that dragged on for almost a year, the makers of Palcohol (powdered alcohol) finally earned their approval from the federal government. Soon, much of America will be able to make a cocktail as quickly as Kool Aid. If you’ll recall last spring, the story of a sketchy new substance that could turn any liquid into an adult beverage quickly went viral. Some readers got excited by the prospect; many more feared potential abuse. The Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau quickly rescinded label approval for the company and stopped it from being sold in the United States.

That's all changed as Palcohol founder Mark Phillips just announced that he got the green light to kick start his production facility so that the powder may be available as early as this summer. Before you start dreaming of dancing in piña colada clouds, know that a handful of states—Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont—have already banned the instant spirits. Several others—Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and New York—are considering similar restrictions.

Phillips is standing firm, saying, “There are no reasons to ban powdered alcohol. The two federal agencies that have jurisdiction over alcohol…found no problems with allowing it to go forward for sale.” Even if he can’t overcome state bans on selling it for consumption, Phillips may push it forward in a different formulation for uses, such as antiseptic, windshield wiper fluid mix and even as a fuel source. And just think, in other states, you could be drinking it!

The battle over Palcohol will certainly continue, but chances are it will be available for purchase somewhere in the United States in the very near future. Until then we’ll leave it to you to decide if the company may need to rethink its branding. The website features a photo of a happy couple drinking beverages presumably made with Palcohol right next to a photo of someone pouring what must be Palcohol-enriched washer fluid into their car. They might want to consider at least putting those on different sections of the site.